Door mat cabinet



V. STROUP DOOR MAT CABINET Oct. 8, 19420.

Filed April 1, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l Human M01,

Oct. 8, 1940. v. STROUP DOOR MAT CABINET Filed April 1, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M V/cfbr $7701: ,0,

"Patented Oct. 8, 1940 UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,217,570 noon MAT CABINET Victor Stroup, Cherryville, N. o. l Application April 1, 1938, SerialNo. 199,541

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a cabinet or receptacle for a door mat, whereby'the mat may be exposed or revealed in a horizontal position when required for use and may be concealed when not required for use.

It is well known that door mats become quite unsightly from use, and it is not practical to keep them in a clean sightly condition. The present invention has been designed, therefore, to provide a cabinet or receptacle including a tray adapted to receive the door mat, and a cover member for the tray, whereby the mat may be exposed in proper position for use or concealed by the cover when not required for use. The cabinet or receptacle is adapted to be placed upon the floor in a convenient position, and pedal-operated means is provided whereby the cabinet may be used without stooping or handling the cabinet.

More particularly, the present door mat cabinet contemplates a mat-receiving tray member and a cover member, one of said members being hinged to the other for movement to matrevealing or mat-concealing position, yieldable means being provided to move the movable member to one of said positions, and pedal-operated means being provided to move said movable member to the other of said positions.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a cabinet or receptacle of the above kind which is extremely simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and efficient in use.

The exact nature of the present invention will become more clearly apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of one form of door mat cabinet or receptacle constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevation looking toward the right of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the plane of line 3-3 of Figure 1, but with the cabinet in open position.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring in detail to the drawings, and particularly to Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, one form of the present invention consists of an upright casing or cover member 5 open at the front as at 6 and provided with a base 1 having ears 8 through which screws or the like may be driven for securely fastening the cover member 5 in a fixed position upon the floor edge as at 9 to the bottom or'base of the upright 1 cover member 5 is a tray l0 which is of an exact size to snugly receive the door mat II in a flat condition and which is sufficiently shallow to expose the operative upper face of the mat for use. It will be apparent that the tray l0 may swing upwardly to a vertical position within the front portion of the cover member 5 as shown by full lines in Figures 1 and 2, thereby concealing the door mat from view. Also, the tray member It) may be swung outwardly and downwardly to the horizontal position of Figures 3 and 4 so as to expose the mat II for use. In this embodiment, the tray member ID is yieldingly swung to a normal vertical position within the cover member 5 so as to conceal the door mat, the means for this purpose preferably consisting of helical tension springs l2 connected at corresponding ends to the bottom or base I of the cover member 5 adjacent the opposite ends of the latter, the remaining ends of the springs I2 being attached to pivoted brackets l3 adjustably connected by a bolt l4 and hinged to a standard [5 rigid with and rising from the rear or hinged edge of the tray l0 centrally of the latter. Obviously, by turning the wing nut I6 on the bolt [4, the brackets I3 may be swung toward each other or may be allowed to swing away from each other so as to adjust the tension of the springs l2 so that they will swing the tray ID to mat-concealing position. This adjustment may be necessary when the weight of the mat is increased by reason of accumulation of dirt and dampness. Pedal-operated means is provided for swinging the tray l0 outwardly and downwardly to its horizontal matrevealing position, so that the user will not have to handle the cabinet or stoop in operating the same. For this purpose, a bracket I1 is rigidly carried by one end of tray 10 and has a laterally projecting pin I8 engaging in an elongated slot IQ of a pedal 20 pivoted at 2| to one end of the cover member 5, the pedal 20 projecting forwardly beyond the front of the cabinet in position for use. By pressing downwardly on the pedal 20 with one foot, the user may cause the tray 10 to swing outwardly and downwardly to the horizontal position wherein the mat H is exposed for use, as shown by full lines in Figures 3 and 4 and by dotted lines in Figure 2. As soon as the pedal 20 or tray I0 is released, the springs l2 will act to swing the tray l0 upwardly to matconcealing position.

From the foregoing description, it is believed Hinged along onethat the operation of the invention will be readily apparent and that the purpose and advantages of the invention will be clearly understool. A simple and practical cabinet is provided for effectively carrying out the stated objects of the invention, and minor changes in the details illustrated and described are contemplated within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

1. A door mat cabinet comprising a stationary upright cover member, a tray member adapted to receive a door mat for use while in said tray member, said tray member being hinged along one edge to the bottom of said cover member for Vertical swinging movement to mat-concealing or mat-revealing position, yieldable means for swinging the tray member upwardly to mat-concealing position, and pedal-operated means for swinging said tray member downwardly to a horizontal mat-revealing position, said last-named means including a pedal hinged at its rear end to one side of said cover member near the bottom of the latter and having a longitudinal elongated slot in its forward end portion, and a laterally projecting pin rigid with one side of said tray member and slidably engaged in said slot.

2. A door mat cabinet comprising an upright cover member, a tray member adapted to receive a door mat for use while in said tray member, said tray member being hinged along one edge to the bottom of said cover member for vertical swingin'g movement to mat-concealing or matrevealing position, yeldable means for swinging the tray member upwardly to mat-concealing position, and pedal-operated means for swinging said tray member downwardly to a horizontal mat-revealing position, said yieldable means including helical tension springs connected at corresponding ends near the bottom of said cover member, a standard rigid with the hinged edge of said tray member, a pair of brackets pivoted to said standard and having the remaining end of each spring attached to one of said brackets near its free end, and means to adjustably limit the movement of said brackets with respect to each other to adjust the tension of said springs.

VICTOR STRQUP. 

